There is no doubt that the kidneys are important to removing mercury. However, you seem to be implying that the liver does not do the same; that is quite unproven, and a growing body of evidence claims just the opposite. You might want to google a phrase like "biliary secretion of mercury." Measurements in humans have shown that the amount of mercury eliminated in the stool can be equal to the amount from the kidneys. Four possible mechanisms were proposed in that study, including via the bile. Another study in humans correlated the amount of mercury in bile, and its deposition in gallstones with increasing exposure to mercury. Experimentally, it has been shown that tying the gallbladder shut, or reducing glutathione stores in the liver reduces clearance of mercury by the body. It has also been shown that demethylation of mercury by the liver can lead to inorganic mercury accumulation in the liver. As far as herbs go, there is some evidence that garlic can protect somewhat against mercury - possibly by increasing glutathione.

Could we use the compost to heat water--similar to permie_josh's use of compost-heated water for his outdoor shower--then circulate the warmed water into a filled, black water barrel. You could probably run a small water pump on solar power. The black water barrel would then be a constant source of warmed water, making it more functional for watering and more functional as the night-time heat sink we want it to be. You could even put the water pump on a timer so it runs only at night, preventing daytime overheating. Has anyone tried something like this? Does this idea sound crazy? I'm considering trying it in my own greenhouse (I'm very inspired by the compost-warmed shower) so if you have suggestions on improving this plan, please share! permie_josh, can you give me some more detailed information about how you heated the water? Did you turn the compost pile with the pipe coiled in it? How did you add additional compost to keep the temp up? Does anyone else have experience with this method?

O.K. Let me rephrase that! I have read on the Growing Spaces forum about some people in the PNW having problems with rain coming in through the open solar vents. I believe that the solution was to have a rain deflector built over the opening. The last that I had time to look, most of the ones located in Oregon were coastal. I'm 30 to 40 miles from the coast as the crow flies. Here is a Google photo link! I'm actually to the right of where they're putting the arrow! The photo isn't really up to date either. I've expanded the ponds and tried to naturalise the watershed back to a more natural state. I've been doing what I can to control erosion! The difference between the basic purpose that they use it for and my needs are the temperature requirements. I don't need to keep it at 80F all winter, but I can't have it dropping below 60F or so. I did originally plan on having a hothouse built inside of a greenhouse from the beginning. That was put on the side for a while and might have to be worked in again. It would be more efficient, as not all of my orchids require constant higher temps. Many of them actually need a variation and/or a seasonal dormancy. I want to have a lot of space. I know how easy it is to outgrow something. I also plan on growing vegetables all winter and will use it to overwinter plants from outside. I have huge pots of lemon grass, citrus, etc. I eat virtually all organic. I was raised that way anyway. I stopped eating all fast food years ago because I got so ill from it. Lately, I have been finding out that there are many things that I'm very allergic to. Virtually everything that has been processed. I always thought that I was sensitive to GM foods. I'm finding out that it's pretty much all glutens and several other common things. The gardens do well all summer, but I want to grow a lot for the winter as well. So, I'm trying to kill as many birds with one stone as possible. One of my primary concerns has also been about earthquakes. I know that it's just a matter of time before we have a big one. I'm not paranoid about them. I've spent my whole life living on the Pacific Ring of Fire around the world. We had a major fire here four years ago. It demonstrated how easily my area would be cut off from the outside. Even the major roads are tenous at best! I like to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Even if nothing happens in my lifetime, I'll have one hell of a greenhouse!:) Scott Here is a link that might be useful: My location

Do very gad you survived (but wasn't worried because you wrote back). I'm told there's few really bad mushrooms fruiting up in the air on wood logs, that get the size and appearence of a gilled mushroom up. Of course you don't want to discover a new one! The Amanitas on the ground (above buried tree roots) are quite nasty. No sign after eating, until many hours later. The victim starts losing water from both ends to try to self flush the toxin, but it is too late. If one eats below a certain totally dose, they might be able to save them they can be hydrated enough. Above a lethal dose the science gets interesting. Too much of the liver auto digests and between that and inability to hydrate the person, there's no saving them. Cells are always turning over protein and remaking it. The literature I read said that the the toxin stops protein production by liver cells. Cells then autodigest. Less liver less chance to pick more mushrooms. Happy to have no first hand experience with this. Many inoculation sites in shittake cultivation on logs are used to help ensure that it wins out over other wood degrading fungi. Note however that Shiitake can pop up quite a distance down the log from where the plugs were introduced it into the log. The mycelium runs from the that perfect placement of pegs down the sapwood zone and under the bark running pretty fast through the open plant vascular tissue. It's after the easy to get carbohydrates, in the attempt to secure them before other other fungi. Then can it compete quite well, slowly degrading the other wood for energy source. You can get more nitrogen (in protein and amino acids) in the mushrooms harvested over time than in the original log! No this is not alchemy! It just suggests that nitrogen fixing bacteria got in there and were eaten by shiitake or external nitrogen was tranported in. At times shiitake mycelium runs out of the ends into the soil or leaf litter zone and it can pump nutrients back. In the spring or wet fall periods I've lifted logs and some had a nice patch of leaves (1-2' diameter) sticking to log as you lift it! Tricky fungus is harvesting what it needs. It can compete a little at soil level because it's powered by a lot of log behind, which it can degrade to get energy. In a faster closed nutrient system, such as in sawdust culture you must add grain or other nitrogen sources to get good mushroom yield. Luckily the mushrooms are more valuable than the grain. Are you just letting rainy weather make mushrooms or stimulating production 3 to 4 times a year by submerging logs under water and then restacking for fruiting? The idea is to let shiitake degrade wood a few months, then stimulate fruiting and repeat. At least some dim light is needed to grow shiitake indoors. This is because light is needed to initiate fruiting. And then it gets more complex. In nature on a log, the mycelium knows where to pop up. Light and lowered carbon dioxide levels are required to fruit, and bark extractives are stimulatory to fruiting. This how shiitake can choose to fruit on the log surface, rather than futility inside the log. Light, an increased rate of carbon dioxide loss, and bark are all at the surface. The expanding mushroom then uses gravity, light and perhaps carbon dioxide or surface water dehydration sensing? to know where to aim the cap and get the its spore holding umbrella up into a better place to cast spores to the wind. Rather than just let them get washed down right under the fungus on the ground that umbrella cap helps ensure it. The spores are trying to be deposited on newly fallen trees during fall, winter, spring weather. I think a chain saw works "more better". Nature is neat huh? Some of the above mushroom expansion phase needs more research. I did some of the early work in an earlier career on initial light trigger, carbon dioxide trigger, and bark stimulators. This was way back in the later half of the 70's through early 80's. Much fun.